Science for art’s sake

I found this article in my old folders.  It was written six years previously and takes me to a Bostonian micro-slice of history. We are in the year 2000; Joe Davis is (and still is) research affiliate at MIT engaging techniques of science and tools of cell and molecular microbiology later taking Adam Zaretsky under his wing to embark on research at MIT [unaware of the consequences that will arise].  Across the river Oron Catts and Ionatt Zurr are spending their year as research fellows at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Joseph Vacanti's tissue engineering lab. 

I couldn’t help but relish in delight at re-reading some of Joe’s projects.  The grounded ones from 1992/93 include; Joe's claims that Earth is orbited by rings of urine and faeces expelled from spacecraft over the years and Norton Rings seeks to install fishing gear in space shuttle cargo bay to trawl rings for micro-organisms from these. [Charming visuals spring to mind here.]  Another, New Wave Ruby Falls opens spectre of artificial Northern Light, observable from Earth by triggering an electron gun in space.  In another project Joe searches for bacterial spores resilient enough to carry his DNA codes to space.

Back on Earth, Joe’s Audio Microscope allows viewers to correlate microbes’ motion  with audio broadcast. The audio is produced from laser beaming onto microscope slide holding the microbes.  As they move around the light is reflected from the slide and these changes are converted into sounds and broadcasts on speakers with video projection of microbes being shown on monitor.

 
        Audio Microscope, Joe Davis & Katie Egan, Ars Electronica, 2000

I would like to reiterate Joe’s and Oron’s comments in the article – which strikes a chord here in UK, there is very little change in terms of art/science intersections where funding is focused on the relationship of these disciplines through traditional media inspired by practice and theory of science rather than wet engagement with the media - The current funding system is set to support bygone ways of art, and we can’t go on painting landscapes forever, as if nothing has changed.